1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to automated apparatuses and methods for measuring, in connection with one or a plurality of pre-drilled or other fastener (or other) holes that are present in a workpiece, fastener hole depth, fastener length, countersink depth, workpiece thickness and/or hole diameters in an automated and very rapid, efficient and accurate manner. Because fastener hole depths and object thickness each correspond with fastener lengths, such apparatuses and methods enable a user to easily and rapidly identify and select a fastener having a correct length for a particular hole. The apparatuses may be operably connected with one or a plurality of computers (or other data collection devices) to provide them with hole depth, countersink depth, hole diameter measurement data and/or data and/or information each time that a hole is measured. Such data and/or information may be recorded, stored, organized, manipulated and/or otherwise used by the computers (or other devices) in any manner desired or required by an operator.
The invention is also directed to a method for measuring pre-drilled and other fastener hole depths, countersink depths and/or hole diameters, and to identifying and selecting corresponding fasteners having correct lengths for such holes.
The measurement apparatuses and methods of the present invention may be employed, for example, in conjunction, or connection, with computerized optical systems for the projection of three-dimensional text, images and/or symbols in a substantially or fully undistorted manner onto one or a plurality of surfaces of a variety of different three-dimensional objects, or parts thereof, regardless of their shape of size.
The invention is also directed to measurement apparatuses of the invention that are used in combination with computerized optical manufacturing guidance systems. Such systems can provide ordered step-by-step manufacturing instructions which instruct manufacturing personnel, assembly technicians and other system users how to manufacture, measure and/or assemble any three-dimensional objects or systems, which may be extremely complex, such as an aircraft, or a part thereof (a wing, a vertical stabilizer, or the like) in a very efficient, rapid and accurate manner, particularly in comparison with a manual manufacture or assembly of the same three-dimensional objects (or parts), which uses blueprints, plans, instruction manuals, other paper-based products and/or computer screens for teaching an assembly of the objects, and with laser-based assembly systems. The manufacturing or assembly instructions (or other optical projections) are in the form of calibrated three-dimensional text, symbols and/or images, and are projected by one or a plurality of optical projector that are operably connected with one or a plurality of computers onto the three-dimensional objects or systems, or components thereof. Uniquely, and very advantageously, the three-dimensional text, images and/or symbols, such as manufacturing instructions, have an ability to “wrap around” the three-dimensional objects or systems (or parts), and to appear thereon in a manner that is not distorted by the three-dimensional nature of the text, images and/or symbols, or of the objects or parts being manufactured, and/or by other potential distortions, such as curves or contours. The invention also provides methods for projecting three-dimensional text, images and/or symbols in a substantially or fully undistorted manner onto one or a plurality of surfaces of a variety of different three-dimensional objects, and methods for providing an ordered step-by-step assembly of three-dimensional objects, or parts thereof, which may be relatively or extremely complex, and which may be used, for example, on an assembly line, or in another manufacturing environment (or in some other environment).
Background
In an assembly, manufacture or other production process of a complex three-dimensional object, such as a workpiece, for example, on an assembly line or in a production facility, assembly workers, manufacturing technicians or others must typically assembly the object using a series of ordered step-by-step assembly or manufacturing guidance work instructions that teach, instruct or guide them as to how the object should be assembled, manufactured or produced. Such instructions may be provided to them via a set of blue prints including both illustrations and text (often thousands of pages in length), laser projection technology, optically assembly projection technology and/or the like. For example, a set of assembly instructions may direct that the following steps be performed by an assembly operator in the particular order listed: (i) remove a panel from an object; (ii) remove a clamp from the object; (iii) measure a depth, diameter and/or countersink depth of each of a series of pre-drilled fastener holes (potentially hundreds or thousands of them); (iv) insert a series of different sized and types of fasteners into the pre-drilled fastener holes in a manner that the characteristics of the particular fasteners selected (length, diameter and/or the like) accurately correspond with the particular measurements made of the corresponding holes into which they are to be installed; (v) remove a bolt from the object (before sliding an engine in); (vi) sliding an engine in: (vii) putting the clamp back onto the object; and (viii) put the panel back on the object.
Structural fasteners that may be used in an assembly, manufacture or production of three-dimensional workpieces, objects, and parts thereof, come in greatly varying lengths and widths to accommodate any thickness of the three-dimensional workpieces, objects, and parts thereof, and/or fastener hole lengths, diameters and counterskings present therein, such as complex and other structures, for example, the skins of aircrafts, submarines, automobiles, military vehicles, missiles and the like, which must generally be very securely attached to some type of a substructure of the workpiece, object or part. The thickness of a workpiece, structure, substructure, part or skin, and/or the diameters and countersink depths of fastener holes present therein, may vary widely. It is, thus, generally very important to measure the length, diameter and countersink depth of each of potentially hundreds, thousands or even tens of thousands of pre-drilled or other fastener holes that may be drilled or otherwise present therein, and into which some type of a fastener is to be passed or extended and installed, and to identify and record each particular fastener hole being measured, which permits corresponding fasteners having the correct length, diameter and countersink depth to be identified, selected, employed and installed therein. Such a process is often critical because the structural integrity of an object, or part, that is being assembled, produced or otherwise manufactured, such as a commercial or military airplane, boat or submarine, may be compromised (i.e., weakened or destroyed) if fasteners having an incorrect length, width and/or countersink depth are employed to attach various parts thereof together which, in turn, could very disadvantageously lead to a massive loss of human lives and/or substantial amounts of money resulting from objects that function in a sub-standard manner or that must have fasteners haring an incorrect length, width and/or countersink depth removed and replaced with correct fasteners (i.e. those having a correct length, width and countersink depth), which is extremely labor intensive and lime consuming. The latter may, additionally and very disadvantageously, result in damage to the workpiece or other object, potentially resulting in a large financial loss. Fastener length may also be critical in minimizing weight on certain types of assemblies. Various types of manual and automated measurement devices are, thus, available for measuring the lengths, widths and countersink depths of pre-drilled and other holes in which fasteners are to be extended and installed.
Grip gages, for example, are one such type of measurement devices, and permit users to determine proper bolt and/or fastener lengths for corresponding pre-drilled or other holes present in a workpiece of other object, or part thereof, manually or in an automated manner. A corresponding dual use scale can measure depth of holes in 1/16″ increments to 2½″, and + grip length of fasteners in 1/16″ increments to 2½″. These gages generally include a probe that has a configuration of a fish hook, which can be hooked on the back side of a fastener hole. The length of the fastener hole is typically indicated by a number provided by a linear scale that is present inside the grip gun. Manual grip gages are typically far less rapid, efficient and accurate than some automated grip gages, and often greatly extend assembly or manufacturing times in comparison with automated grip gages. Moreover, known automated grip gages very disadvantageously generally require a use of three hands to operate (i.e., hands of two different operators), rendering them extremely labor intensive, time consuming, awkward and difficult to use (since each operator only has two hands) and, thus, expensive to use (in terms of labor costs). Further, they are typically extremely slow and inefficient, generally performing steps of normalization, measurement, data recordation and the like in a series of separate steps that are not concurrent, but are consecutive, rendering such devices extremely inefficient, labor intensive, time consuming and, as a result, expensive to operate.
Further, current projection systems for manufacturing three-dimensional objects utilize laser projectors to project points or text onto a surface. The laser projectors emit highly amplified and coherent electromagnetic radiation of one or more specific frequencies in a form of an intense beam of nearly monochromatic visible or infrared light through a process of stimulated emission. The radiation emitted by the laser consists of a coherent beam of photons, all in phase and having the same polarization, and at any given time, a user will always see a moving dot. Very disadvantageously, laser systems, and their replacement parts, are extremely expensive (often prohibitively) and, thus, are not widely used in manufacturing processes and assembly lines.
Further, laser systems, very disadvantageously, are not capable of projecting images or symbols, such as graphics, pictures, illustrations or drawings, onto a surface, and cannot display large amounts of text or other drawn objects without severe flickering, blinking and/or other significant distortions, all of which generally are, at the least, annoying, and cause eye strain to the user. Further, when large amounts of text are projected by laser projectors, this causes the laser projectors to operate extremely slowly. In contrast with optical projections, laser projections work in the same manner in which one writes with a pen. The laser projections actually write out each letter of a word like one would using a pen. The laser itself is physically moving or has an internal mirror that moves. Consequently, the more text that is to be displayed by a laser projector, the longer it takes for the laser projector to make one complete projection. For example, if a user of a laser projector projects only the letter “A” onto a surface, the time between projection cycles would be very short. However, the time between “re-paints” (i.e. re-projecting the information) becomes significantly longer, and the laser projection very disadvantageously begins to flash, similar to how fluorescent lights start to flicker as they get older or are cold. The foregoing problems render laser projectors very difficult, and time consuming, to use in an assembly guidance system (in addition to being extremely costly).
Optical systems that can project three-dimensional text, images and/or symbols onto one or a plurality of surfaces of a variety of different three-dimensional objects, or parts thereof, in an undistorted manner currently do not exist. Laser systems are not capable of making such projections.
Description of Other Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,216,585 describes a depth gage for indicating the depth of a hole through a workpiece which is to be attached to a nut-plate by a threaded fastener, which comprises a rod with a cylindrical portion adapted to pass through the hole and abut the nut-plate so that a forward section of the rod enters within the threads of the nut-plate. The '585 patent states that a sleeve slidable on the rod in front of the workpiece can be slid to abut the front surface of the workpiece, and that graduated markings on the rod indicate the depth of the hole.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,111,406 describes a fixture that is prepared with fixture holes arranged in a pattern that corresponds with the locations of fiducial pads that are located on a multilayer board. The fixture has tooling pins that engage with tooling holes in the panel to hold the panel in an absolute position relative to the fixture. An x-ray inspection system views a superimposed image of a selected fixture hole and a corresponding fiducial pad that is visible within the boundary of the fixture hole. A software routine is then used to compute the offset between the fixture hole and the fiducial pad. The process is then repeated for the remaining sample of fixture holes and fiducial pads. The results are then fitted and sent to a drilling machine to determine a position for the drilled holes in the panel that compensates for the registration of the solder pads.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,451 describes a projection of an image of a stitch pattern onto a workpiece. A projector is stated to project a full-sized image of the stitch pattern on the basis of image data read from RAM on a workpiece held by an embroidery frame.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,757,950 describes a process for cutting or stamping individual parts from an animal skin in which the contours of the individual parts are stored in a computer, and can be assembled to form a cutting pattern. For optimizing the cutting, the cutting pattern is established individually as a function of the quality of the skin, and is projected by a projection device onto the skin.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,192,777 describes an apparatus and method for cutting pieces of material from a workpiece, such as a web of patterned fabric, which includes irregularities or which is misaligned with respect to a coordinate system of the cutting apparatus. The workpiece is spread on a cutting table where it is cut by a numerically controlled cutter in accord with an electronic marker stored in the cutter controller. The marker is matched to the workpiece and appropriate adjustments are made to the marker before the workpiece is cut. A laser, operatively connected to the controller, projects a match target onto the workpiece at a point corresponding to a selected point on the marker. The marker is then adjusted such that the selected point coincides with a desired location on the workpiece. Adjustment is achieved by electronically displacing the match target from a non preferred location to a preferred one. Software in a controller translates this displacement into appropriate adjustments to the marker.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,205,370 describes a production of a nest of cuts for cutting blanks out of flat, irregular workpieces, wherein the contour and the flaws of the spread workpieces together with a workpiece characteristic are detected by means of a digitizing unit, and the corresponding data are read into a computer, which on the basis of these data, and the data stored in the computer concerning number, shape and quality requirements of the blanks, calculates and stores a nest of cuts, and utilizes the detected workpiece characteristics of the workpieces as a workpiece code for allocating the nests of cuts to the respective workpieces.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,304,680 describes a method and system for monitoring a process which determines a location of a product in three dimensional space with respect to a process monitoring system.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,314,311 describes a registration system for use in connection with an image guided surgery system. It includes a medical diagnostic imaging apparatus for collecting image data from a subject. An image data processor is stated to reconstruct an image representation of the subject from the image data. An image projector depicts the image representation on the subject.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,600,476 describes a video aid to an assembly system and methods of using the system for providing production personnel access to manufacturing drawing information with minimum user intervention. The system scrolls manufacturing drawings automatically as a monitor is moved relative to a workpiece, so that the manufacturing drawing corresponds with the identical location on the workpiece. The system is stated to eliminate the need to store, retrieve and maintain individual hardcopy drawings.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,731,991 describes a method and system of projecting light on a planar surface to produce an image for tracing. The system includes a projector that has a light source and a signal conditioner that is operably connected to the projector. A computer is operably connected to the signal conditioner, and a scanner is connected to the projector. A test pattern from the computer is projected from the projector through the scanners to visually align an image to a sector on a work surface. A grid is operably aligned with the work surface, and a geometric pattern from the computer is then projected by the projector on the planar work surface for tracing. The method comprises the steps of creating a pattern, tracing lines along the pattern on the planar work surface, cutting the pattern along the traced lines, discarding pieces of the planar surface outside the pattern, and placing edging along an outer edge of the pattern.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,813,035 describes a formation of a two-dimensional color pattern consisting of colored pattern elements that is stated to enable a particularly compact and fault proof color pattern for a coding. The '035 patent states that three dimensional data of an object point can be calculated by subsequent triangulation at a known position of a projector and a camera. Also described is a method for determining three-dimensional surface coordinates comprising an illumination of an object with a color pattern of known structure by a projector and recording an object image by a camera.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,016,052 describes “a quick, simple and accurate manner in which to measure the dimensions or characteristics of a hole without contacting the hole.” The '052 patent states that the apparatus and method described therein also automatically detect different materials defining the hole and, therefore, the location of the interface where the materials meet. To measure the characteristics of the hole, the '052 patent states that the apparatus and method measure the intensities of light reflected off of the hole wall, and that the light directed toward the hole wall by the optical fiber may be of the type, such as collimated or focused, to provide distinct reflections that are received and measured by the optical receiver to supply accurate measurements of the hole characteristics.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0236087 describes an apparatus comprising a housing, a clamping unit associated with the housing, a biasing system, and a length indicator. This publication states that the clamping unit can be inserted through a hole in a structure into an interior of a nut that is positioned relative to a first surface of the structure, and that the clamping unit can engage the interior of the nut when a portion of the housing is positioned relative to a second surface of the structure. The first structure is stated to be substantially parallel to the second surface. The biasing system is stated to be capable of biasing the portion of the housing positioned relative to the second surface of the structure and the clamping unit towards each other, while the clamping unit is engaged with the interior of the nut. The length indicator is stated to be capable of indicating a length of a bolt when the biasing system has biased the portion of the housing and the clamping unit towards each other.
Other art includes published U.S. Patent Applications Nos. 2003/0207742, 2005/0121422, 2006/0007411, 2006/0176156, 2006/0290890, 2007/0206371, 2007/0127015 and 2008/0018740, and foreign patent documents numbers GB 2204397, EP 0027054, EP 0053501, EP 1288865, EP 1519575, WO 2004084547, WO 2005025199 and WO 9716015.
None of the above references, or others that are described herein, teach or suggest the novel, automated, very accurate and extremely rapid fastener hole measurement apparatuses or methods, or the computerized optical systems or methods, of the present invention.
There is a need in the assembly, manufacturing, production and other industries world wide for automated measuring apparatuses that perform very rapid, efficient and accurate measurements of the lengths of pre-drilled and other fastener holes, and of required or desired corresponding fasteners of a correct length for such holes, hole countersink depths and/or hole diameters, which may be operably connected with one or more computers or other data collection devices in a manner that data resulting from one or all of such measurements may be readily and rapidly transmitted (or otherwise transferred) to one or a plurality of computers and/or other data collection devices for recordation or other use each time that a hole is measured.
Further, there is a long-felt, but unsolved, need worldwide in the manufacturing and production industries for efficient, rapid and accurate guidance systems that have an ability to significantly reduce the amount of time, labor, manufacturing errors and paper products (blueprints, plans, instruction manuals and/or the like) that are typically required to manually assemble or otherwise manufacture complicated three-dimensional objects, such as aircrafts, submarines and automobiles, and that can be used on assembly lines and/or in other manufacturing and production environments.